Duck Eggs

Ducks are laying 4 to 5 eggs each day and I have been either selling them or cooking with the eggs.

These eggs are fantastic for cakes. I love cooking cakes with their eggs. I'd rather cook cakes with duck eggs all year round if they laid them all year round.

Sponge cakes are amazing and I never have a failed cake using them.





This sponge cake was taken on Monday to our sewing group. One of the ladies has a wedding this weekend when her son is married. As the wedding is in Perth, we had a cake to celebrate back here in Adelaide.






Dundee cake takes 5 eggs and what a great cake this is. Very yummy and full of dried fruits.

More and more people are returning to keeping poultry of some kind in the backyard. I've not bought eggs for 11 years now and I can't see this changing down the track.

technorati tags: cakes, eggs

Zucchinis & Eggs

Zucchinis out in the garden are just booming along and its time to make zucchini slice. This is very popular in my house. So popular I have to hide it in the freezer, as Amy takes it to work every day until its all gone. Me, I see it as a great side vegie in the winter months.




All those chook eggs are just so fresh and this slice is a great way to use up those excess eggs.



Fresh out the oven and a couple of squares for my tea hot and the rest in the freezer.

Making another 1 today and maybe if time is on my side tomorrow, another one then.

Also I am making a boiled fruit cake today for Pat.

It's busy time here in my kitchen.

Until next time....hoo roo

technorati tags: cakes, eggs, links, vegetables, zucchini

Cheese Cakes Or Maids Of Honour

When I was growing up, my mum used to make little "Cheese Cakes" that she said were dated back to WW2. Mum said Grandma used to make these as well, when she was a little girl.

My kids have grown up eating these as well and it's been a couple of years since I have made them. So today I thought, why not and I am sharing this lovely afternoon tea treat with you.


First off you need a clean table and a packet of pastry mix. I use the Vidale as I get 2 sachets per box and that gets me 2 bakes from the 1 box.


Mix the pastry from one pouch and roll out and using a biscuit or scone cutter, cut out the circles for the pastry tart tins.


After they are all cut out and lined in the pastry tins, pop in a small amount of jam onto the pastry. Not too much, just enough to give it some flavour and not have it spilling over the sides while cooking.



Then you need to mix up a vanilla cake mix for the top of the Cheese Cakes. I use a recipe from scratch, not a packet mix.


Then an amount of the cake mix goes onto the top of the pastry and jam. Make sure the mixture touches the edge of the pastry, sealing the jam inside.

Bake at 200 degrees until cake mixture is cooked, this can take about 15 mins.

Then cool on a cake rake. Taking care not to separate the top from the bottom.

Okay, now they are all nice and cool, you can ice them with icing sugar and sprinkle with coconut.




These can be stored in the freezer if you want to have some for another day or just store in a cake tin and enjoy.

If you have seen or eaten these before and know them by another name, I'd really love for you to leave a comment and tell me the name.

technorati tags: cakes

Never Fail Sponge

This recipe is from a Family Circle recipe book. The reason I am sharing it with you is for the following reasons.

Back in 1982 I tried making a sponge cake for the first time. I hadn't much cooking experience and the whole episode was a disaster.

So now 25 years later I have given it another go. Using my duck eggs, gave me the confidence to try as so many people swear by duck eggs in their sponges.

Oh and am I just so proud of the result I got.

I didn't have a four sifter, so I used my colander to sift the S.R. Flour 3 times .

So here is the cake finished, safe in the fridge for after tea tonight.



3, eggs separated
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup S.R. Flour, sifted
3 tablespoons water
Jam
Cream, whipped
Icing sugar

• Preheat oven too 200 degrees.
• Place egg whites in clean mixing bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until thick & glossy.
• Add egg yokes and beat well. gently fold in flour;then stir in water.
• Divide mixture evenly between 2 greased and floured 20 cm sandwich tins. Bake in oven about 20 mins (maybe a bit more) until cake springs back when touched and side shrink away from pan.
• Remove from tins. Cool on a cake rack. When cool spread jam and cream and pop top on. Sprinkle icing sugar on top with sifter.

Enjoy.

technorati tags: cakes

Pat's Birthday Cake

• 125 g butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 500g mixed dried fruit
• 1/2 tspn nutmeg
• 1 tspn mixed spice
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 tspn bicarbonate of soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 cups SR flour
• 1 cup plain flour

1. Grease and line the base of a 20 cm cake tin. Set oven temp at moderate 180 deg C.
2. Put butter, milk, sugar, fruit & spices into a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer with lid off for 5 mins. Cool slightly, add sherry & bicarbonate of soda.
3. When cold, add the beaten eggs and mix well. Sift both flours and fold into mixture. Turn into prepared cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven for 1 1/4 hours or until cooked.
4. Cool on a wire rack and store in an air-tight tin.

Note.

I have a gas oven and I tend to cook it for 60 mins on 200 degrees C.

I also add some slivered almonds to the mixture.

technorati tags: cakes